The importance of the international diamond certificate

How do you know when you intend to buy a diamondor a diamond jewel that the gem is corresponding to what the jeweler describes to you? What guarantee do you have as a consumer that the product of your choice is of a genuine natural diamond quality? What should you know before attempting any important diamond jewel acquisition?Our best advice is to get informed very carefully about the diamondcertificates provided with the stones.

You have several companies in the world that will provide very accurate gemological analysis by measuring and quoting all the parameters that will determine the quality of your diamond.

Diamond certificates

Three companies are considered in the Antwerp diamond District as most reliable:

The Gemmological Institute of America or GIA

The High Council for Diamonds of Antwerp or HRD (Hoge Raad voor Diamant)

The International Gemmological Institute or IGI.

All three companies will provide you with extremely precise measurements regarding your diamond: Also referred to as the 4 C’s are of course essential:

Other diamond specifications like the fluorescence , the proportions the finish the size of the diamond accurate to a 100th of a mm, the size of the diamond table, the angle of the crown and pavilion, the thickness of the girdle are also mentioned in details.

If you are familiar with the use of the diamond loupe, you will probably be able to identify the stone with the details mentioned on the certificate. However we do recognize the fact that most people have to entirely rely on the expertise of the diamond expert to be able to appraise the quality of the polished good.

Diamond sealing

Another service provided by the diamond certification companies is the sealing of the stone in a little transparent container or diamond seal with all the important details mentioned on it. You may also have your diamond laser inscribed: the name of the certificate company and the diamond certificate number are then laser inscribed on the diamond girdle. This extremely small but accurate inscription is hardly visible but any diamond expert will be able to show it to you.

A diamond guarantee

Finally and most important: The provided certificates may only be considered as an additional guarantee that your trusted jeweler or diamond expert is supplying the described quality. The main guarantee is still the earned trustworthiness of the retail store where you decide to proceed with your purchase. In other words beware of the malpractices of less reliable diamond stores who will try to mislead you by showing you paperwork of suspicious sources but with the aspect of genuine certificates.